Rip Roarin' Dead
by Maharet LaFae
Summary: I couldn't think of anything new to do with an E/S pairing, so I decided to try something else. A little bit of under explored pairing for Sookie. Spoilers for books 1-8, as well as the short stories *especially "Gift Wrap"* and chapter one of D&G.
1. Chapter 1

AN: The Southern Vampire Mysteries and all characters therein belong to Charlaine Harris. I'm just playing around with her Sookieverse.

* * *

Sam stopped at a gas station just over the Texas state line. He was close to his goal, but he desperately needed a nice strong cup of coffee right now. When he climbed back into his truck he heard a soft "pop" noise and looked to the passenger seat to see Claude the fairy there.

"We need to talk," Claude said.

"Start talking," Sam said "but I hope you don't mind if I keep driving while you do it. I need to get to the hospital to see my mom as soon as possible.

"That's fine", the fairy said as he checked out his profile in the side mirror of Sam's truck.

Sam pulled back onto the interstate-headed west. He turned the stereo off and waited for Claude to say whatever it was he needed to say.

Claude absentmindedly twirled a strand of hair around his index finger as he spoke. "People think that just because I'm self-absorbed that I don't notice everything around me. I do. I can tell how much you care for Sookie."

"Well, it's not like I've ever tried to hide my feelings for her," Sam said. Now Sam was starting to get irritated. It was just like a damn fairy to pick the worst possible time to try to have a serious conversation.

"While you're not as suitable a mate for her as a fairy would be, you're certainly more acceptable than that lovely hunk of dead Viking," Claude said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"I can't say I don't see the attraction there, if not for the probability of death involved I might give that a go myself."

"Have you met Sookie Stackhouse?" Sam laughed. "I don't think she's gonna care about your opinion of her love life. Besides, I've already tried everything I could think of. " Sam had a wistful look in his eye as he drove westward.

"Listen," Claude said. "I may not be interested in women, but work in a strip club. I see them everyday. I see what type of women go for what type of guy. I can tell you how to land Sookie". Claude looked steadily at Sam with one eyebrow raised in an almost Spock like expression.

"You've got my attention", is all Sam replied.

* * *

Sookie plopped down in Sam's chair and took a deep breath. She'd finished her morning shift as waitress, but now she needed to go through some applications and see if she could find a replacement for Arleen. Amelia said she could take some shifts while Sam was away, she still needed to line up a more permanent replacement.

'_Poor Sam'_, she thought. She felt so bad for her friend. On what was supposed to be the best day of his life, the day he could finally be himself, his mother gets shot and he has to drive all the way to Texas.

Sookie shrugged and started sorting through the applications. She sorted out six applications and called them back, asking if they were still looking for work. Two out of the six were still looking for work, so she set up a time for each of them to come in for an interview with her. She figured she owed it to Sam to try to make sure he wasn't getting another bigot like Arleen. Sam deserved better than that.

With that out of the way, Sookie was free to relax for the first time that day. It'd been a little under twenty-four hours since the big "coming out" for the two-natured community. _'Poor Sam'_, she thought. She felt so bad for her friend. Sam should be here, enjoying being truly himself in public, but instead he had to drive to Texas because his stepfather freaked out and shot his mother. From Sam's call earlier, Sookie knew his momma was going to be all right, but wasn't sure if she was going to stay in Texas or come back to Louisiana with Sam.

Sookie was so tired. She stretched and yawned a bit as she sat there and before she knew it, she'd drifted off to sleep. Into a very strange dream...


	2. Chapter 2

AN: Thank you for the reviews. This is my first fanfic so I appreciate the feedback. Again, the Southern Vampire Mysteries and all characters thereof are the property of Charlaine Harris. No offense in intended, I'm just playing in the Sookieverse.

* * *

Eric shut the door behind Sandy as she left. _'Well,'_ Eric thought _'She's very thorough'_. It took over three and a half months for Sandy, and therefore Felipe, to be satisfied that he and his operation were up to Felipe's standard operating procedures. Three months wasn't long to Vampires, even ones as young as Bill Compton, for Vampires as old as Eric, three months was hardly more than a blink of the eye to one as old as Eric.

He could feel a certain sense of impatience coming from the other end of his bond to a certain telepathic barmaid. What was he going to do about Sookie? Everything in him wanted to claim her as his own. Every fiber of his being wanted to lay claim to the enchanting telepath and that's exactly why he hadn't. Since the takeover, he'd spent every waking moment downplaying his relationship with Sookie Stackhouse. The more he made her seem to be just one of his assets, the safer she became.

It was obvious to him soon after the takeover that they could very easily be used as a means of controlling each other if they were perceived as couple. Any vampire with as obvious a weakness as love for a mortal would be exploited in such a time of upheaval.

It would be an entirely different matter if she were turned, of course. However, he pointed out to Sandy and Felipe, turning Sookie could have unpredictable results. She might not carry the telepathy over to an undead state, she might carry it over and be able to read vampires as well as humans. He convinced them he could use the bond to turn her as measure of last resort if she lay dying somewhere while maintaining the status quo for now since she was still young and healthy. It was the best he could do for her. At least it would keep her alive for now.

It would all be different if he did turn her, of course. She would be his child then and subject to a much different set of rules. He knows she doesn't want to be a vampire, at least not now. He still had hopes of her wanting to be turned in a decade or so. He was a patient being. He couldn't have lived over a thousand years without learning patience.

* * *

Sookie could tell she was in a swamp. The air was so humid it was oppressive. The night was alive with mosquitoes and fireflies. The moon was full and cast an eerie light on her surroundings. She sniffs the breeze that blows toward her. Vampires, she smells them. She senses the voids that mark their minds for her. There's something else as well. There is another signature she's sensed before but she can't quite put her finger on what kind of supe it belongs to. All she knows is she has to get away from them, all of them. She has to get to…

Sookie sat straight up in bed. She had the odd feeling that she needed to get to somebody, but she didn't remember whom. She looked over to the clock on the bedside table. _'Oh well,'_ she thought _'Only an hour til I was going to get up anyway'_. Sookie walked into the kitchen, still disturbed by a faint sense of unease. She started a pot of coffee and walked out to the back stoop to check for the morning paper. She tipped extra for them to bring it all the way to the back and toss it toward the back deck. It sure beats having to pick it up at the mailbox.

She carried the paper inside and sat at the table reading it and sipping on her morning coffee. There was nothing particularly worrisome in the paper this morning. Everyone was still talking about the two-natured coming out, of course, but so far it hasn't met with as much shock as the revelation that Vampires were among us.

"Hiya's roomie", Amelia said as she followed her nose to the coffee maker. "Ah," she said "The elixir of wakefulness". Amelia poured herself a cup of coffee and put some bread in toaster. "We've both got morning shift today, right?"

"Yep," Sookie said. I've got to interview one girl around two and another about four. I figure we should be slow enough around then to give me a few minutes to do an interview and maybe snoop around in their heads just a little." Sookie blushed. " I kind of feel bad about snooping around in people's head unprovoked (her word of the day) and all but I also don't want to end up hiring some Fellowship of the Sun asshole either. You know what I mean?"

Amelia nodded her head. "You don't want Sam to get hurt".

"Yeah," Sookie said.


	3. Chapter 3

AN: Thanks for the reviews! I'm anxious to get to the fun stuff. Hopefully not too much more building needed. As always, the Southern Vampire Mysteries and all characters therein belong to Charlaine Harris. No offense or infringement intended, I'm just playing in the Sookieverse.

* * *

"How's the prettiest mom in the whole world?" Sam asked as he carried a bouquet of wild flowers into the hospital room. Linda Merlotte Davidson sat at the end of the hospital bed, dressed for her trip home.

"You shouldn't have come all this way, Sam. I'm fine, really." She said. "You know as well as I that I really didn't need to come to the hospital anyway. I wouldn't have if I'd been conscious when the paramedics showed up. I'm convinced they kept me here overnight just because I was the first two-natured they came across knowingly."

"That's ok, I'm glad I made it here in time to take you home. We need to talk about Don and what you're going to do about him. Have you seen or heard from him at all since you got to the hospital?" Sam asked. What Sam really wanted to do was find Don and show him what real fear is like for daring to shoot his mother. Sam just couldn't understand how anyone could look into the face of someone they claim to love and pull the trigger.

"No, I haven't seen or heard from him. The police just got done asking me the same question not more than a half an hour ago. My guess is that he's taken off. Who knows if he'll ever come back." She said. "Oh, just forget that a minute and give your momma a big hug. It's been way too long since I've been face to face with my oldest." Linda wrapped her arms around Sam. "Son, why do you smell of fairy?"

Sam chuckled, "That's a long story, mom."

* * *

Amelia walked into Sam's office, "Ready to go, roomie? Night shift has arrived and I'm ready when you are."

"Yeah, I'm almost ready. I just need to make sure these order forms get signed and sent out. Can't have the bar running out of booze, can we?" Sookie said with a grin.

"You're getting good at this sort of thing," Amelia said. "So, how did the interviews go?"

"Well, they both seem nice enough and aren't hiding any deep seated need to hate shifters or Weres or Vampires. Lois, the second one, seems to be a bit more serious about working here long term. So, I'm going to call her back before we leave and let her know the job is hers. I'm hoping I can still talk you into working until Sam gets back. I don't think I ever really appreciated just how much Sam does around here. I've got my hands so full making sure his job gets done that I can't keep up with my own job."

"You got it, Sookie". She said, "I'm not saying I'd like to work here for a long period of time, but for a few days it's a nice change in my routine."

Sookie considered pointing out that Amelia's routine generally consisted of cleaning, shopping and talking about spells with Octavia but thought better of it. Sookie smiled at her friend. Sometimes she found herself slightly envious of Amelia. After all, Amelia has never really had to face being poor. Sookie sincerely hoped that she'd never have to.

Sookie called Lois back and told her the job was hers and arranged for her to come in for lunch shift tomorrow. It was always easier to train a new waitress on the lunch shift. Just then Terry knocked on the door, stuck his head in and said, "Someone out here asking for you, Sookie". Terry had shut the door again and gone before Sookie could ask him any questions, so she sighed deeply finished up what she needed to in the office and went out to the main area of the bar.

Terry pointed to a booth in the corner where the Sandy, the vampire, sat. Sookie wondered what Sandy could possibly want to talk to her about when she heard a familiar voice behind her.

"Hi, babe"…

* * *

Octavia looked down at the tarot cards again. They still weren't telling her anything that she wanted to hear. In fact, the cards pointed to someone close to her being deceived and hurt. It is hard to tell specifics from the cards, but she'd almost bet on Sookie being the one the cards were talking about. Bless her heart, the child was as sweet as she could be but she drew danger like a magnet.

She had finally gotten her FEMA money and decided that she liked Bon Temps well enough to stay here instead of going back to the Big Easy. She rented one side of a nice little duplex from Sookie's boss and was dating a charming widower by the name of Jacob Beck. Jacob's son Alcee was a policeman and occasionally passed by her duplex to check on her and make sure she was all right. It had been a long time since Octavia had been this happy.

She had enjoyed staying with Sookie and Amelia at Sookie's old farmhouse. Even though neither would say anything, still she knew that the younger women felt a little like they were being babysat with her around. It wasn't their fault. Octavia remembered what it was like to be young and free.

She looked back to the cards and frowned. She went into her temple room and got her bag of runes. She cast the runes and they said much the same thing as the tarot cards had. There was danger coming, danger and lies.

Octavia put the runes and cards back into their silk bags and stuck them into her purse. She grabbed her cell phone and called Amelia as she walked out to her car.

"Amelia, this is Octavia. Something is up and I'm coming over to see you girls don't go anywhere but home". With that, she hung up the phone, got in the car and headed over to Sookie's house.


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thanks again for the reviews, they make my day. As always, the Southern Vampire Mysteries and all characters therein belong to Charlaine Harris. No offense or infringement intended, I'm just playing in the Sookieverse.

* * *

'_You have got to be kidding me'_ , Sookie thought. She turned and looked up, way up, into the eyes of her most recent ex-boyfriend. "Uh, hi Quinn. I don't have time to chat. I seem to be a popular woman this evening." Sookie pointed to the booth where Sandy was waiting.

"Yeah," Quinn said, "I'm her driver and bodyguard while she's in town. Listen, I'd like to talk to you for a few minutes after you get done talking with Sandy."

Sookie was sure she didn't want to have whatever conversation he was planning, but couldn't think of a way out of it without making a huge scene. _'One thing at a time'_, she said to herself and made her way over to Sandy's table. "Good evening, Sandy", Sookie nodded her head to Sandy respectfully. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"Please, Miss Stackhouse, have a seat", Sandy indicated the bench on the other side of the booth. Sookie sat down and Sandy, always the personification of efficiency, got right to the point. "It has come to King Felipe's attention that Sophie Anne still owed a debt to you at the time of her", she paused here, "final passing. His orders to me are to bring this to you personally." Sandy handed a check to Sookie.

Sookie stared at the check in her hands. She had given up on ever seeing the money that Sophie Anne had promised her for going to the Vampire Summit at Rhodes. It never occurred to her that the new king would want to settle his predecessor's debts. "Wait," Sookie said, "This is way more than Sophie Anne owed me, over twice as much". She stared again at the amount of the check, seventy-five thousand dollars.

"There is no mistake Miss Stackhouse, consider the extra interest plus bonus for services above and beyond the call of duty. You see, some of the vampires you saved that day in Rhodes are long-time personal friends of King Felipe. He says, and I quote, 'I would be most honored if you will accept this for services to the kingdom of Louisiana and the vampire community as a whole'". Sandy gave the closest thing to a smile that Sookie had ever seen on the very businesslike vampire.

Sookie paused for a moment, choosing her words carefully as she new how much vampires of such high stature value respect. "Please tell the king that I am honored to be held in such high esteem and grateful that he has taken the time to settle Sophie Anne's debt." Sookie breathed an inner sigh of relief when Sandy looked pleased to be delivering such a message back to the king.

Sookie and Sandy exchanged a few more pleasantries and Sookie made sure that Sandy had a fresh TruBlood before going over to see what Quinn had to say. She wondered if anyone would notice if she just bolted for the door. Amelia and Quinn sat at a table near the bar. At her approach Quinn stood and pulled a chair out for her. "Listen Quinn, it's been a long day and I'm tired as hell, so lets just cut straight to the point". Amelia looked like she couldn't decide if she needed to stay or give them some privacy. Sookie motioned for her to stay where she was.

"Well," Quinn began, but was cut short by Amelia's phone ringing.

"Excuse me", Amelia said as she answered her phone. She didn't say anything to whoever was on the other end, but Sookie watched as curiosity, worry, and fear played tag across her friend's face. She hung up the phone and turned to Sookie. "That was Octavia, she said we're to go straight home and she'll meet us there."

'_Thank you, Octavia'_, Sookie thought.

"Oh, uh..", Quinn stammered. "This obviously isn't a good time for you. I have to take Sandy to the airport tonight, but I'll have some free time after that until she returns to Louisiana. Can I give you a call tomorrow and set up a time for me to come over?"

Sookie really wanted to tell him just to buzz off but Gran made sure she had better manners than that, so Sookie just nodded to him as she and Amelia grabbed their purses and rushed to Amelia's car.

* * *

"Ok son, let me see if I have this straight. You've fallen in love with one of your waitresses. Can I assume it's the same one that's coming with you to your brother's wedding?" Linda asked and her son nodded. "She's part fairy and the fairy that was offering to help you is her cousin and also the twin brother to her fairy godmother. Oh and she's a telepath with a blood bond to a Viking vampire." Linda laughed a little. "You certainly picked a hard one to land, son. You always did like a challenge, though. I can't say it really surprises me. You got a picture of this girl?"

Sam pulled out his wallet and showed his mom a picture of Sookie. He was pretty sure Sookie didn't know this picture existed, much less that he carried around with him in his wallet.

"Pretty," his mom said. "I have to tell you, though, be very careful dealing with fairies son. I'm not worried so much about the girl. From the sound of it, she doesn't have a whole lot of fairy blood. The full-blooded fairy, on the other hand, is a different story. If he's offering to help you, there's something in it for him. Even the few that try to become angels are motivated by their own goal. Just be careful son, they're tricky creatures with complex agendas."

"You're probably right", Sam said. "Claude isn't exactly known for his caring nature. Matter of fact, this is the first time I've noticed him taking an interest in anything other than himself or whatever man he's with. I'm not going to worry about that right now. Are you sure you won't come back to Bon Temps with me?"

"No son, this is my home," she said. "Your father and I settled here after he got out of the Army, we raised our family in this house and I won't leave it unless I have to. I don't think Don will be back and even if he does come back, I don't think he really meant to hurt me. He was shocked and confused, maybe a little angry, but he's not an evil man."

"It doesn't have to be forever, you know. You could just come out for a little while. Think of it as a vacation," he gave her the look that always melted her heart when he was a little boy. "I'd love to have you there".

Maybe I can come spend some time with you after your brother's wedding," she smiled at her first-born. "Besides, you have a part-fairy telepath's heart to win. That's going to be hard enough to do without your momma hanging around." She laughed and ruffled up Sam's hair. "Now, lets see about getting some food into our bellies. If you plan on heading back to Louisiana tomorrow, you'll need to get to sleep fairly early. "


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Sorry for the huge delay in posting this chapter. I have the middle and the ending all mapped out in my head, the beginning is giving me fits. :D Thank you for the reviews, I love to read your comments.

As always, the Southern Vampire Mysteries and all characters therein belong to Charlaine Harris. No infringement or offense is intended, I'm only playing in the Sookieverse.

* * *

Sookie breathed a huge sigh of relief as Amelia pulled out of Merlotte's parking lot. "Did he give you any idea what he wanted to talk to me about?" She asked Amelia.

"No, we talked mostly about the Great Reveal and what happened to Sam's mom. He said that he didn't go for a public reveal, probably a good thing." Amelia laughed.

"Yeah," Sookie couldn't help but laugh. "A four hundred and fifty pound Bengal tiger would freak people out a lot more than dogs, wolves, foxes, and such. I figure Calvin must have had the same thought. Notice that the few Hotshot folks in the bar that night didn't change?"

"I almost wish they had," Amelia said. "One more good shock and I think Arleen would have had an aneurysm". Both women shared a guilty giggle about that.

"So, what did Octavia say?" Sookie asked.

"She just said that something was up and she wanted us to go straight home and she'd meet us there. When Octavia thinks something is up, she's usually right, and it's usually not a good thing." Amelia said.

They didn't have to wait long. They had just gotten home and unlocked the back door when Octavia's car pulled in. The three women went into the kitchen where Amelia started a pot of coffee and they sat down at the kitchen table.

"OK", Octavia said once they got settled. "Here's what I know so far. Someone close to me is being lied to and could be put into a lot of danger and pain because of it. Now, it's hard to be certain from just using the cards and the runes but my guess is you, Sookie. Now Amelia, that's not to say that you shouldn't be on your guard, you know how imprecise divination can be."

"So, what do we do about it?" Amelia asked.

"Well," Octavia said after a moment of thought. There is one spell we can put around the house. It will essentially make it so that lies can't be told within the confines of the spell. Of course, the drawback to is that you two will not be able to tell lies either. Even something as simple telling the other that the dress they just put on doesn't make their ass look fat will not be able to pass your lips if it's not the truth. I wish I could do something more but without knowing for sure which one of you is in danger or who is the liar, there's too much risk casting more individualized magick. This will at least give you a safe zone where you bring someone to be sure they're not lying to you."

"I'm alright with it if Amelia is," Sookie said. "In fact, I know a tiger that will make a perfect test subject". She snickered.

"Great," Amelia said, always willing to learn new magick. "What do we need for the spell? I'll check my supplies and if we've got it all here, we'll get started tonight."

* * *

Sam had gotten up early to start the trip back home. He tried one more time, unsuccessfully, to talk his mother into coming back with him. He settled for getting a promise from her that she'd get the locks changed and call the police if Don showed up at the house.

He hoped he wouldn't have any uninvited passengers for the ride home. He had a lot of thinking to do. First and foremost in his mind was Sookie. When she had walked into his bar that first time, it was like he'd been struck by lightning. It was as if every woman before he saw her was in sepia tones, like the beginning of the Wizard of Oz, but she shone bright and full of color.

Unlike what seemed to be every other supe in existence, he couldn't care less about her telepathy. She was so much more than what she could do. The only time he ever thought about it was when she was upset by something she'd heard in someone's brain or when someone else was trying to use her ability for his or her own benefit.

As much as Sam wanted to believe that Claude had the secret to winning Sookie's heart, he was afraid there were too many obstacles in their way. There was Eric and the blood bond, of course. Would she ever be able to have a real relationship with anyone while bound to Eric? Would the Viking ever stand aside and let her try to have a relationship with anyone other than him?

The biggest thing standing in the way, was the fact that Sam is her boss. There's no really good way around that issue. He couldn't fire her, even if he wanted to. It would be wrong on so many levels. Not to mention it would probably not put her in a frame of mind to date him. So, unless she decided to quit, maybe for a better job, he didn't see any way around the employer/employee situation.

The miles ticked slowly by as Sam thought. Soon he'd be home. Soon he'd see her. He let his foot get just a little bit heavier on the gas pedal. He missed her.


	6. Chapter 6

AN: Whew, this was a tough one. I find I dislike writing about Sookie talking about her feeling almost as much as Sookie dislikes talking about them. Things should be a bit smoother from this point on. Thanks for reviewing, it makes my day to read your reviews.

As always, the Southern Vampire Mysteries and all characters therein belong to Charlaine Harris. No infringement or offense is intended, I'm only playing in the Sookieverse.

* * *

Sookie sipped on coffee while she waited for Quinn to get there. Amelia was getting ready to go in for the early shift at Merlotte's. Sookie had the late shift today so she decided to go ahead and get the talk with Quinn out of the way.

Sam was supposed to be back later in the evening, so she would probably just be doing her waitress duties. Sookie was glad that Sam would be back today. Merlotte's just seemed like it was without its heart and soul with Sam gone.

Soon, she heard the sound of gravel crunching so she looked out the window. Quinn's truck came down the driveway and parked out back. Sookie opened the kitchen door and waited for Quinn to get there. "Hey babe," he said.

"Hi Quinn, come on in," Sookie stepped to the side to let him enter. She thought about how much easier life would be if ex-boyfriends became totally unappealing immediately upon breaking up with them. Unfortunately, Quinn still looked as good as he ever did. Sookie offered him some coffee and they sat down at the table. "So, let's just get right to it. What do you want to talk to me about?"

Quinn took a deep breath before beginning. "Well, the way we left things has been bothering me. Emotions were running high the last time we talked and there was a lot that was left unsaid. It's been almost 3 months since the takeover and we've both had some time to think. I don't know about you, but I think we need to get it all out in the open if we're ever going to move on".

Now it was Sookie's turn to take a deep breath and blow it out noisily. She hated talking about feelings. She'd rather not get into this at all but now that he was here, she might as well get it over with. If it would somehow make running into him less awkward, it might even be worth it. "Ok, what do you want to say?"

"First of all," he said. "I've got to know… What could I have done differently? They had my mom and threatened to use my sister for blood and sex. It's not like I went to him and offered my help."

"I know that, Quinn", Sookie said. "I was still shocked, hurt, and angry the last time we talked about this. I know you were caught between a rock and a hard place. I still think you should have called me when you first found out your mom was missing. The fact that you didn't call me makes me think that I just wasn't important enough for you to let me in on that information."

Amelia came down the stairs and into the kitchen. "Excuse me, I just need to grab a cup of coffee for the road," she said. "I have to get to Merlotte's for the early shift. Hi Quinn." She quickly fixed herself a cup of coffee in a travel mug and left out the back door.

Quinn reached across the table and took Sookie's hand into his. "Sookie," he said. "I'm sorry I didn't call you while we were looking for my mom. After the whole soda can bomb thing, I was sure you'd rush out there and try to help. I was afraid my mom would hurt you. She's a weretiger and she's not right in the head, Sookie. I didn't want to risk you getting hurt". Even if there hadn't been a spell to prevent lies, she could tell by the look in his eyes that he was being completely honest about this. "Sookie, is there a chance for us?"

"I'm sorry, Quinn," she said. No."

"Is it the Viking? Do you love him?" Quinn asked.

Sookie started to say that she didn't love Eric, but realized the spell wouldn't let her. "Not in the way you think. I love him, but I'm not in love with him. A part of me still has love for Bill too, even after what he did to me. They were two of the first three beings to ever accept me for what I am and not just think of me as _'Crazy Sookie'._ Eric has been there for me in more ways and more times than I can count. I almost lost them that night, Quinn, Pam too. It would have been my fault, just like it was my fault that Sophie Ann met her final death that night."

"That was not your fault," Quinn said loudly.

"Yes," she said. "It was. Sophie Ann was killed and her territory taken because she didn't have Andre there to defend her. She didn't have Andre to defend her because I didn't stop you from staking Andre. You only staked Andre because you wanted to protect me." Sookie was crying now. "What I said about wanting to be most important in someone's life was true, but that was only a small part of why I broke up with you. The biggest part of it was my own guilt. If I had done what my conscious told me and stopped you, instead of being selfish, then Sophie Ann could still be running this state. Even your being in debt to Felipe is my fault, in a way. He wouldn't have been so interested in using you if Sophie Ann's kingdom had been stronger."

"Oh Sookie," Quinn said as he scooted his chair closer and wrapped an arm around her. "It really isn't your fault. If it hadn't been that, De Castro would have found some other use for me. I'm grateful that you didn't tell Eric about my part in Andre's death, though."

"Well, I'm pretty sure he knows I had something to do with it," Sookie said. "I couldn't help feeling guilty the night of the takeover when Eric mentioned how Andre would have been able to protect Sophie Ann and, of course, he can feel what I feel. I think he assumes that I staked Andre myself, and I don't think he'd blame me if that'd been the case. He might even understand if he knew the truth but I don't see any reason to take that chance. I care about what happens to you too. I just don't know if I'll ever be able to get past the guilt of what happened."

"I understand," Quinn said. "I wish you could see that it wasn't your fault. If anything it was Andre's for being such and evil bastard." That made Sookie smile just a little. "I'm glad we talked about this. I think, maybe, we can both move on with our lives now. Friends?"

"Friends," Sookie agreed.

Sookie and Quinn said their goodbyes and Quinn left. Sookie sat in her kitchen, thinking about the conversation she'd just had. Oddly enough, she felt better now. It was like a huge rock, that she didn't know was there, had been lifted off her sholders. Maybe there was something to this talking it out thing after all.


	7. Chapter 7

AN: Sorry it took so long to get back to the story. I was so devastated by Dead and Gone that it took me a while to even want to write and then I had to decide if I wanted to just carry on ignoring all but chapter one of D&G or if I wanted to rewrite starting from the end of D&G. Obviously, I've decided to carry on as if I'd never read the rest of D&G. Updates will be more regular from here on.

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Sam sighed as he sat down at his desk. He didn't realize how much he'd miss this place until he was away from it. Merlotte's was his livelihood, of course, but it was more than that to him. His whole world centered around his bar. It was where he interacted with the other people in Bon Temps, his entry to the local society in a way. Most importantly, if not for his bar, he might never have met Sookie.

Ah Sookie… He took a deep breath in through his nose. The office was infused with her scent. She must have spent many hours here while he was gone. His fingers roamed across the stack of notes she left for him detailing what she had done while he was gone. Her script was delicate and neat, almost as beautiful as the woman herself. He read through the notes and marveled at how well she had filled in for him in his absence. She really was much smarter than most of the locals gave her credit for.

He turned his thoughts to Claude and his offer to help him win Sookie's heart. His mom was right, of course. There's got to be something in it for the fairy but Sam couldn't imagine what it would be. There was only one way he was going to find out, he supposed. Sam opened his cell phone and dialed Claude's number. The phone rang three times and was answered.

"Yes?" The voice on the other end of the line said. Sam chuckled to himself over the fact that the fairy's phone personality wasn't any warmer than in person.

"Claude?" Sam asked. After confirming that he was speaking to Claude he informed the fairy that he was back in town and ready to discuss his plan for wooing Sookie. It was arranged that they would get together after the bar closed tomorrow since the bar closed early on Sundays.

Sam almost called Sookie to tell her to take the day off since he knew she'd been working so hard in his absence, but he really wanted to see her. He'd wait until she got here and then offer to let her go home. That way he'd at least get to spend a little time with her. He felt guilty about being so sneaky, but not guilty enough to change his mind. He probably didn't have enough time to catch her before she left the house anyway. Sookie usually came in to work ten to fifteen minutes before her shift started and given the time it takes for her to drive to work, she was probably already on her way. No sooner had Sam finished the thought than Sookie walked in the door a full half-hour early.

"Sam!" She yelled when she saw him. She dropped her purse on the chair by the door and ran over to him, throwing her arms around his neck. "I'm so glad you're back! This place just isn't the same without you. When did you get back?"

"I've been here just long enough to read your notes. I was going to call you and tell you to take the night off but I figured I'd have just missed you. As it turns out, I'd have missed you by a long shot. You've been working so hard, chère, and you did such a great job. You deserve a break," Sam hugged her back. With her this close her scent was overpowering. Something was different. He sniffed more obviously and Sookie pulled back, obviously irked.

"Let me guess, you smell Quinn and want to know if he and I are back together", she said while rolling her eyes to express how much she enjoyed being sniffed. "For your information, he just came by to get some closure. We talked things out and parted as friends, just friends". She emphasized the just.

"No, that's not it. I'm sorry chère, I know how much you hate it when supes do that to you. You have to understand that with us it's instinctive. We don't mean to be invasive; it's just the way we get information from our environment. Anyway, I'm not sure what it is, your scent is different, sweeter. Have you changed soaps or shampoos or something?" He said.

"Nope, same old stuff I always use", Sookie replied.

Sam shrugged, "Probably nothing. I'm glad you and Quinn were able to talk things out. I had a feeling that you were still a little raw about the way it ended."

"Yeah," She said. "I do feel a lot lighter, somehow."

"I'm glad. It's been a rough couple of years for you and I hate it that you've had to go through so much. Any peace you can find is a blessing." He stood up and hugged her again and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "Now go home and get some rest. That's an order. I don't want to see you back here for work until Monday." He smiled at her.

Sookie allowed herself to acknowledge the weariness that she had been holding at bay. "Thanks Sam. I think I'm just going to go home and sleep for two days."

"You do that, chère. I'm back now, so you just catch up on the rest you've been missing out on." Sam handed her purse to her and shooed her out the door.


	8. Chapter 8

She stood in the doorway, the light from the room behind her casting her into silhouette. Her hair fell loose around her shoulders and looked like a golden halo around her head and shoulders as it was lit from behind. The sheer robe and nightgown floating around her like ethereal clouds.

Sam held his arms open for her, beckoning her with his eyes. She closed the distance between them. He pulled her into his arms and kissed her tenderly on the lips. He let his right hand glide down the outside of her breast, down along her ribs and to her hip as the left hand rested lightly at the nape of her neck. He pulled her gently into a tighter embrace.

He felt her shiver slightly as his lips trailed along her jaw to her earlobe. He took her earlobe gently into his mouth and nibbled ever so slightly on it and was rewarded with a moan. He stepped back slightly so that he could run his hands along her shoulders and push the robe off her shoulders to fall in a puddle in the floor. He went down on one knee before her. He put his hands on the outside of her legs just under the hem of her night gown and slowly stood. His hands brushed, lightly teasing as they made their way up her body, raising the nightgown as they went. She raised her arms as he reached them so he could take the nightgown off.

He stood back, admiring the sight before him. She was so beautiful. Her breasts ample yet still firm, the small waist giving way to the curve of her hips. As she stood there before him, wearing only a lacey thong, he wondered if she knew how beautiful she truly was. Not a stick figure like many girls these days were, though not fat by any means. She had curves like a woman should. He looked into her eyes, the naked hunger in them apparent even in this low lighting.

"I love you Sookie", he said.

She opened her mouth to speak and said, "Beep beep beep beep!"

"Damn it!" Sam said, exasperated, as he turned off the alarm clock. The dream was getting really good too. He went to the bathroom to start a cold shower. He needed it.

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Sookie got out of bed at 11:30, feeling guilty that she had stayed in bed so long. She still felt tired even though she had come straight home after leaving Merlottes and went to bed early after watching television for a while. Tired wasn't her main concern at the moment though. Her main concern was that she was ravenously hungry.

Throwing her old but comfortable fuzzy robe on she made her way to the kitchen. The note beside the coffee pot let her know that Amelia had left early to run some errands before her shift at Merlotte's. Thankfully she left some coffee for Sookie. Sookie poured herself a cup of coffee and was looking into the refrigerator when she heard a car pull up to the back of the house.

A quick look out the back window let her know who her visitors were. Claudine's car was parked behind her own and she and Claude were walking toward the back porch. Claudine was carrying a bag of what Sookie hoped were some kind of pastry, and Claude was carrying coffee for three.

Sookie met them at the door. "Well, this is a pleasant surprise. What brings you two here this morning?" Sookie smiled at her cousins as she held the door open and motioned for them to enter.

"It was Claude's idea," Claudine replied. "He asked how long it had been since I'd seen you and suggested we come for a visit. We brought donuts." Claudine cheerfully presented the bag.

"Yum, I'm so hungry," Sookie said. She placed the donuts on a platter and set the table. "I was just wondering what I was going to have for breakfast when y'all pulled up. You couldn't have timed it any better."

"Oh good," Claudine said. "I was so afraid we'd be too late." The twins sat down at the table and everyone started eating.

"How have you been, Sookie?" Claude asked. Sookie was glad she didn't have food in her mouth when he said that because her mouth dropped open. Claude said, "What?"

Sookie laughed, "I just can't remember you ever asking me that. I'm feeling pretty good. I'm really tired, but now that Sam is back, I should be able to get back to my old routine. Oh, I haven't gotten the chance to tell anyone about this yet. I finally got paid for Rhodes. Philippe De Castro paid Sophie-Ann's debt plus extra. He said it was interest plus a bonus for services rendered."

"That's great, Sookie!' Claudine exclaimed. "What are you going to do with the money?"

"I don't know yet. I thought about just putting it in the bank and letting it draw interest until I need some for property taxes or something," Sookie said. "It will be nice to know I have something there in case of emergencies".

"Tell me you're at least going to buy yourself a new outfit," Claudine said. "What good is money if you can't have a little fun with it? Oh, I saw the cutest little outfit at the mall in Monroe that would be just perfect for you. We should just hop in the car and go shopping." She was so excited about the prospect of shopping that it was infectious. Sookie couldn't help but get excited too.

"I don't suppose it would hurt to buy myself one outfit", Sookie said. "It'll be good for the three of us to get out and do something fun."

"Oh," Claude said. "I can't go I have to…" He trailed off here and Sookie looked at him closely. Was Claude trying to lie about something? Why would he lie to her? "I've made plans with a gentleman friend for later. Don't worry about me though. You two go have fun. I'll just pop over there from here."

The three chatted a little while longer while they finished the donuts and coffee. Claude looked at his watch and said, "Time for me to go. Have fun shopping." With no further ado, he popped out of the kitchen to where ever he was going.

Claudine smiled brightly, "I guess that is our cue to go shopping".

"Great," Sookie said. "Just let me get some clothes on and we'll go".


	9. Chapter 9

"Ouch!" Claude complained after Sam stepped on his foot for the tenth time today.

"Sorry," Sam said. "You're the one that insisted I learn all these dance steps. The good old bar room shuffle always worked well enough for me".

"It might work for some bar room floozy, but this is Sookie we're talking about here. She loves to dance. My sister told me once that you sometimes take the shape of a lion. Well, start using some of that feline grace and quit stepping on my toes. You're going to put me out of work if you don't stop it," Claude said.

"I'm trying. It's not easy learning these new steps you know. Plus, I'm not exactly used to dancing with a guy," Sam said defensively.

Claude stood back, thinking a moment and snapped his fingers. "Would this be better?"

It was at this point that Sam had to sit down on the floor because he was laughing too hard to stand. Claude might be gay but one couldn't call him feminine. He was just over six feet tall and muscular enough to make the ladies at the strip club drool. To see him now, dressed in a frilly lavender dress that would make any bridesmaid-to-be cringe, was just too funny to bear. It had shoulder pads (which combined with Claude's muscles to look like some weird parody of football shoulder pads) and huge bows at either hip. Sam was sure now that Claudine inherited all the fashion sense on that side of their family.

"I'll take that as a 'no'," Claude huffed. "I was just trying to be helpful".

He placed his hands on his hips and pouted. This, of course, made it all that much funnier to Sam. Sam had tears rolling down his face and was gasping for breath. With a sound that could only be described as an indignant huff, Claude snapped his fingers and was again dressed in his regular attire.

"Alright, let's take a break from the dance lesson and talk", Claude said after Sam was finally able to stop laughing. "What do you think is the biggest obstacle to you and Sookie having a relationship?"

"Where do I start?" Sam rolled his eyes. "Well, there are a minimum of two vampires who would love nothing better than to drain anyone who came near her in a romantic way."

Claude looked thoughtful for a moment. "Pretend they aren't an issue. What else?"

"Well, there's always the fact that I'm her boss," Sam said. "Sookie has very set opinions on the line between boss and employee. So, what can I do? I can't fire her; this place wouldn't be the same without her. Not to mention, I doubt she'd want to go out with me after I fired her anyway."

Claude twirled a strand of hair around his finger as he thought. "That's it! Of course!" he exclaimed. "Sam, have you ever considered taking on a partner?"

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Sookie and Claudine plopped down on Sookie's sofa after their little shopping spree. Sookie had bought more than she had intended to, but told herself that she was just replacing some of the clothes that had gotten destroyed at Rhodes.

"That was so much fun! I'm so glad we went," Sookie exclaimed. She had waited to ask this next question until she got home, even though it was driving her crazy. Hoping she was going to sound casual she said, "So, what is up with Claude?"

"Oh, I'm so glad you asked that. I thought I might be losing my mind," Claudine looked relieved. "It's so strange. He's been asking about you and wanting to come see you. I haven't seen him take this much interest in any human without a couple of days worth of beard growth in over a century."

"What do you think could be the cause of his new attitude," Sookie asked.

"I don't know. I would like to think that he's starting to come out of his self absorption, but I honestly don't think we're that lucky," Claudine laughed.

Sookie decided it was time to put Claudine to the test. "You'd tell me if Claude had was up to something regarding me, wouldn't you?"

"Of course I would, Sookie. Honestly though, Claude knows that and I don't think he'd tell me if he was up to something for just that reason. Do you think he's up to something?"

"I'm not sure, Claudine. It's just striking me as strange, the sudden interest he's showing. I'd like it if you'd just keep this between us two, for now. Is that alright?"

"Sure Sookie, it's just between us. You can trust me," Claudine reached out and gave her a big hug.

Whatever Claude had going on, Sookie was pretty sure that Claudine wasn't in on it and that made her feel much better. Sookie really considered Claudine one of her dearest friends and would have been heartbroken if she betrayed her.

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Sam offered Claude a beer after they got done with the last dance lesson for the day. Sam could now dance a pretty good waltz and Claude's feet were only a little worse for the wear.

"I have to ask, Claude," Sam said. "What's in this for you? Why the sudden interest in Sookie's love life?"

Claude was silent for a moment then said, "Well, you know who my grandfather is, right? I'm sure you can imagine how pleased the Prince would be if I helped his beloved great granddaughter find her way to a lover with a pulse. The Viking is not a bad person, as vampires go, but there are things he cannot give her that you can."

"I just want to make a few things clear. I will not stand for anything being done against Sookie's will. If I find any fae magic set to influence her choice in any way," Sam paused here and gave the fairy a dangerous look. "I will personally bind you in iron chains and feed you to the Viking. If she chooses me, it will be because she wants to, not because of fairy bullshit. Understood?"

Claude gulped but nodded his head. "I agree to your terms. Call me when you get a chance for another dance lesson." With that, the fairy popped out of the bar leaving Sam to think about all the things he and Claude had discussed.


End file.
